Democratic landslide and resounding defeat for Trump in the midterm elections

Democrats secured a resounding victory Tuesday with a majority in both houses of the US Congress in midterm elections that turned into a disaster for Donald Trump and the Republicans.

This shift in the two houses of Congress, still unimaginable a year ago, opens an era of uncertainty for Donald Trump two years before his departure from the White House.

"I'm super excited that change is coming," said Tracie Moore, a 50-year-old businesswoman interviewed by AFP in Atlanta, Georgia (southeast).

From 47 senators, the Democrats could end up with around 55 seats out of 100, while the New York Times projections placed them at 01:00 (06:00 GMT) with a colossal majority of 77 seats in the House of Representatives.

For Todd Belt, a political scientist at George Washington University, these results mark "a strong rejection of Donald Trump and his policies".

Because the Republicans' electoral defeat was fueled in large part by voter dissatisfaction with the cost of living.

Donald Trump told the New York Times that he would accept the election results but indicated on his Truth Social platform that he was prepared to use his veto power against laws passed by Democrats in Congress.

"We have beaten Goliath"

The Democrats did a "good job," the Republican billionaire asserted in an interview with Fox News. This victory, "they've been hoping for it for 11 years and they finally got it," he declared, alluding to his entry into politics.

"I do not consider that it was directed against me," the 80-year-old president nevertheless asserted, refusing to take responsibility for the defeat.

He had stated earlier on Truth Social that the Republicans would have won if he himself had been "on the ballots." Yet, in recent weeks, he had been holding numerous rallies across the United States, asking his supporters to pretend he was on them.

The first bombshell of the evening came from South Carolina (southeast), where Democrat Annie Andrews snatched the Senate seat from Darline Graham, personally chosen by Donald Trump as the candidate after the death of her brother Lindsey Graham in July.

In Texas, James Talarico will become the first Democratic senator elected in this conservative stronghold since 1992.

"Tonight, we beat Goliath," said the 37-year-old Presbyterian seminarian during his victory speech in Austin, alongside Gina Hinojosa, who was elected governor.

The hotly contested campaign in Texas saw the world's richest man, Elon Musk, spend more than $220 million in favor of the ultra-conservative Republican Ken Paxton.

- Iowa, Ohio, Kansas... -

Democrats also succeeded in flipping Senate seats in North Carolina, Iowa, and Ohio, all won by Donald Trump in 2024.

Kansas, which had not elected a Democratic senator since 1932, recorded the victory of Adam Hamilton.

Among the few consolations for Donald Trump, Republican candidates in his Florida stronghold retained the Senate and Governor seats.

The rising cost of living, exacerbated by an unpopular war against Iran, but also the issue of corruption, have pushed Americans to disavow the Republicans in these "midterms", traditionally unfavorable to the party that holds the White House.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged Tuesday to use his future majority to prosecute politicians he believes are guilty of "unprecedented corruption."

"We will demand accountability," warned the man who is expected to become the first African-American president of the lower house of Congress to his supporters.